Royal Caribbean & Celebrity Pay Alaska’s Environmental Fines

Seatrade Cruise News reports that Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises recently settled all claims related to alleged violations of the Alaska Marine Visible Emissions Standards that occurred over an earlier five-year period on certain ships.

Last year, we reported that the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation issued notices of violation to a number of cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, for a pollution violations over the past five years. In addition to Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises, NCL, Carnival, Holland America, Princess, and Silversea violated the Alaskan emission standards.

In its most recent annual report, Royal Caribbean stated that the cruise line had settled the claims pursuant to a compliance order by consent this month for an undisclosed amount. and performing certain remedial actions.

As we mentioned in our article last April, Alaska issued 18 notices of violation involving 48 instances of excessive air emissions against a host of cruise lines since 2010,. Each violation of law carries a fine of approximately $37,500.

It seems as though $37,500 is not a large enough fine. Maybe the fines should be millions, after all it is Mother Earth. If the cruise lines were met with swift, harsh punishment the first time they offended, the outcome today might be a little bit different. In my opinion, swift and harsh punishment the first time around leaves an impression one will soon not forget.

Jim O’Connell

I’m fighting like mad against them in Bar Harbor. The naiveté is extremely difficult to address given the rush to vote yes or no on the construction of a mega pier that Bermello and Ajamil are trying to force on us through back room deals! A freedom of information reply just proved this. Thank you, Art Greif and his citizens initiative supporters! Check out WDEA’s interview with Art. Bagging the fox in the henhouse!

ABOUT JIM WALKER

“Everything the cruise lines don’t want you to know” is the motto of this award winning maritime law blog authored by Miami lawyer Jim Walker. More…

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Cruise ship accidents, injuries, crimes, disappearances, fires, and collisions on the high seas involve issues of maritime law. Jim Walker graduated from law school in 1983 and has been handling maritime law cases for the past thirty-five years. He handles a wide variety of cases from serious injuries to the highest profile sexual assault and cruise crime cases.